Fatty Acid Catabolism Higher Due To Polyphenol Intake

ScienceDaily (May 14, 2007) — Polyphenols, dietary substances from vegetables, fruits and green tea, bring about a change in the energy metabolism. Dutch researcher Vincent de Boer has discovered that polyphenols increase the fatty acid breakdown in rats and influence the glucose use in fat cells.

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Cistus Incanus - Polyphenol - medicine of cold and flu. (part 2)

The 1999 European Herbal Medicinal Plant of the Year is now coming into its own as a super immune booster against colds, seasonal and pandemic influenza and other respiratory illnesses. A research paper submitted by scientists to The Macrae Group 2009 Symposia states, in part -

"Moreover, neuraminidase inhibitors the most common anti-influenza agents are less effective against new H5N1 isolates. In this regard, we were able to show that a polyphenol rich plant extract from a special variety of Cistus incanus named Cystus052 exhibits antiviral activity against influenza viruses in vitro, in a mouse model and a randomized, placebo controlled clinical study. The recovery from clinical symptoms was 2.5 days faster in the Cystus052 group compared to patients taken the placebo. The protective effect of Cystus052 appears to be mainly due to binding of the polymeric polyphenol components of the extract to the virus surface, thereby inhibiting binding of the hemagglutinin to cellular receptors. The antiviral potential of Cystus052 against seven H5N1 viruses by IC50, EC50, Km, Vmax and Ki values indicated that Cystus052 was much more potent than oseltamivir. In addition, using an in vitro infectivity inhibition assay we found that a single treatment of Cystus052 was up to 100-fold more effective against these H5N1 viruses compared to oseltamivir, during the first 24 hours after infection.

We conclude that Cystus052 given prior to infection might be an effective antiviral with prophylactic potential against influenza viruses including A/H5N1."

from Site

The Power of Polyphenols

The other day on Oprah, Dr. Oz spoke to anti-aging, life regeneration, life prolonging, life extension pioneering and the significant value of resveratrol.

Resveratrol is a potent member of the class of natural, plant-derived chemicals known as polyphenols. Diets high in fruits and vegetables containing polyphenols can reduce risk of a variety of health concerns.

The skin of the red grape is particularly rich in polyphenols and one of the ingredients in our anti-aging live longer tonic.

If you google resveratrol in relationship to cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular disease you will find oodles of research demonstrating it's benefits.

Cistus Incanus is one of the richest Polyphenol sources available.

Historical Herbs - Myrrh, Aloes and Reishi

By Dr Warwick D Raymont, PhD, DSc, Grad Dip Sc Tech Comm, MACS, MNYAS, DG, OIA

“In Nature, God has provided a cure for every ailment known to man.”

Unfortunately, however, the rise and fall of civilisations and the many knowledge-destroying events such as the Spanish Inquisition have decimated the amount of Natural Remedies knowledge in the world. It is only in comparatively recent years that some of this knowledge is being recovered – and has been greatly enhanced by the addition of Asian medicines – Chinese and Ayurvedic stand out among these.

In Biblical times, two herbs that stood out among the others were “Myrrh and Aloes” (1). This earliest reference to these wonderful health and healing herbs dates back about five thousand years.

Myrrh - Zistrose, Cistus incanus.



The name “Myrrh” has, in more recent times, been applied to a tropical Asian plant, Commiphora erythraea or mukul, a related East African plant, Commiphora myrrha, and many other species of Commiphora, all which have a fragrant resin but whose use as an incense dates back only to Roman times and are more commonly known as “False Myrrh” (2). However, contrary to popular belief, this aromatic incense is not the original Biblical Myrrh. The original Myrrh came from the Pink Rockrose or Zistrose, Cistus incanus. Indeed, the original Hebrew of Genesis 37 translates to “Gum of the Cistus”.


This original Myrrh was a valuable spice harvested from the stems of the Rockrose, a resin that was exuded after bruising. Such harvesting must have been extremely labour-intensive, making access to Myrrh something available only to the extremely wealthy. These affluent individuals used the Myrrh in their diet and, as a result, showed remarkably little susceptibility to the plethora of ailments that so affected the general populace.

When the three “Wise Men” of “Kings” attended the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem, they carried with them gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Gold – the most valuable of metals, Frankincense – the most valuable of incenses and Myrrh – the most valuable of spices. This Myrrh was the original Biblical Myrrh, the “Gum of the Cistus” – after all, the Roman Commiphora was simply another aromatic incense, not a spice, and to have given two incenses would have been replication.


Cistus incanus extract stands out in modern medical research for its efficacy as an antioxidant and an anti-viral. Indeed, laboratory testing has shown this herb even to decimate the much-feared H5N1 Bird Flu virus! (3), (4). It is particularly rich in Polyphenols, a family of natural and powerful antioxidants that scavenge free radicals and toxins and free the body’s immune system to care for itself rather than be “overloaded” trying to cope with a cacophony of twenty-first Century pollutants and toxins that build up inevitably in the body of every living human being (5).

Aloe vera



The reference in Genesis mentions also “Aloes”. Aloe vera is also a plant renowned for its healing properties for over 5,000 years of recorded history. Alexander the Great (35-323 BC) used Aloe Vera to soothe and heal his soldiers’ wounds. However, of the 104 known species of Aloe vera, only one stands out as being the richest of all species in active ingredients (mucopolysaccharides and phytonutrients). This is the Aloe vera Barbadensis Miller. The purest, most organically grown of this variety is in a chemically untreated and volcanically rich area of Mexico where a German Company has set up its own huge farm (6). Many other species of Aloe vera contain little or even no active ingredients (7). Indeed, many herbal extracts examined were found to contain little or even no active ingredient whatsoever (7).

There are some US MLM Companies, one in particular (8) that produces tablets based upon the Aloe vera Barbadensis and, through very clever marketing, makes huge profits selling it as Ambrotose® (9), quite correctly claiming that this phytonutrient-rich tablet assists in cell repair and cell regeneration but extending the claims to “inter-cellular communication” referring its clients to some alleged biochemical pathways published in the “Journal of the South West Medical Institute”, a newly established entity curiously sharing the factory address of this company. Its founder, one Samuel L Kaster has quite a questionable past (10).

Of course, the Barbadensis Miller variety, being the richest in phytonutrients, is marketed as a pure drinking gel, a small cup (150mL) of which would probably contain the nutrition of a $240 jar of Mr Kaster’s cleverly marketed Ambrotose®.

Reishi


The third member of the trilogy of historic herbs is the Reishi Mushroom (Ganodermum lucidum), also known in China as Ling Zhi.

Reishi has been coveted as a life-extender, body balancer and aphrodisiac since the Ming Dynasty (1644-1368BC). It is rich in triterpenes, particularly ganodermic acid; these have multiple medical functions, not the least being the inhibition of histamine release (alleviates allergies and asthma), the stimulation of insulin production by a “lazy” pancreas (assists with managing diabetes) (11) and its anti-oncogenic (anti-cancer) properties (12), (13), (14). It has been recently reported that major Pharmaceutical Companies are currently investigating Reishi with the intention of mimicking some of its anti-cancer ingredients to produce an effective anti-cancer drug (15).

Myrrh, Aloes and Reishi promise humanity a vastly improved and healthier life; it is only in recent times that these have been “rediscovered” and made available to the public.

References:
1. Genesis 37, 25.
2. FAO Document Repository Flavours and Fragrances of Plant Origin, Chapter 9, numerous cited references.
3. Refer to websites:
www.raden-saleh.org/Cure4birdflu.html
www.alternative-medicine-software.com/avian_influenza_2.htm www.alibaba.com/manufacturer/14692439/Natural_Tea_Remedy_Against_Avian_Bird_Flu.html
www.curacaowildlife.com/avian-flu-healing.htmn
www.curevents.com/vb/printthread.php?t=61302
www.geryshu.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=127
www.netzwelt.de/lexikon/Vogelgrippe.html
www.thgweb.de/lexikon/Vogelgrippe
4. Goddard, J “The Survivor’s Guide to Bird Flu: The Complementary Medical Approach”, CMA Publications (2005).
5. Raymont, W D “Anti-oxidants – v – Free Radicals – the Fight against Cancer and Coronary Artery Disease” http://www.stolair.com/professionalpapers/antioxidantsfreeradical.html
6. LR International of Ahlen, Germany www.lrworld.com/lrweb/index.php?id=60 Links.
7. Proceedings of the Conference on Herbal Medicine into the new Millennium, conducted at Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 16-18 June, 1999
8. The name Mannatech is cleverly derived from Manna, the food from heaven that fed Moses and the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness.
9. The name Ambrotose is cleverly derived from the word Ambrosia, the nectar of the gods in Greek classical times.
10. Barron’s Online Monday May 9, 2005 http://online.barrons.com/article_print/SB111542290501327322.html
11. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2004 Feb; 25(2):191-195
12. Refer to websites:
www.reishi.com/cancer.htm
www.intelegen.com/nutrients/reishi.htm
www.ict.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/2/4/358
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14713328&dopt=Abstract
13. Int J Oncol. 2004 May;24(5):1093-1099
14. Integr Cancer Ther. 2003 Dec;2(4):358-364
15. Channel 10 News, Australia, Friday Feb 02, 2007.

A polyphenol rich plant extract from Cistus incanus exerts a potent anti-influenza activity against avian and human influenza subtypes.

Infections with influenza A viruses still pose a major threat to humans and several animal species. The occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the H5N1 subtype capable to infect and kill humans highlights the urgent need for new and efficient countermeasures against this viral disease. Here we demonstrate that a polyphenol rich extract (CYSTUS052) from the Mediterranean plant Cistus incanus exerts a potent anti-influenza virus activity in A549 or MDCK cell cultures infected with prototype avian and human influenza strains of different subtypes. CYSTUS052 treatment resulted in a reduction of progeny virus titers of up to two logs. At the effective dose of 50 microg/ml the extract did not exhibit apparent harming effects on cell viability, metabolism or proliferation, which is consistent with the fact that these plant extracts are already used in traditional medicine in southern Europe for centuries without any reported complications. Viruses did not develop resistance to CYSTUS052 when compared to amantadine that resulted in the generation of resistant variants after only a few passages. On a molecular basis the protective effect of CYSTUS052 appears to be mainly due to binding of the polymeric polyphenol components of the extract to the virus surface, thereby inhibiting binding of the hemagglutinin to cellular receptors. Thus, a local application of CYSTUS052 at the viral entry routes may be a promising approach that may help to protect from influenza virus infections.

Polyphenol antioxidant

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Molecular structure of apigenin, a polyphenol antioxidant

A polyphenol antioxidant is a type of antioxidant containing a polyphenolic substructure. In human health these compounds, numbering over 4,000 distinct species, are thought to be instrumental in combating oxidative stress, a process associated with some neurodegenerative diseases and some cardiovascular diseases.

Sources of polyphenol antioxidants

The main source of polyphenol antioxidants is nutritional, since they are found in a wide array of phytonutrient-bearing foods. For example, most legumes; fruits such as apples, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, grapes, pears, plums, raspberries, and strawberries; and vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, celery, onion and parsley are rich in polyphenol antioxidants. Red wine, chocolate, green tea, coffee, olive oil, bee pollen (honey) and many grains are alternative sources. The principal benefit of ingestion of antioxidants seems to stem from the consumption of a wide array of phytonutrients; correspondingly, the role of dietary supplements as a method of realizing these health benefits is the subject of considerable discussion.

Blackberries are a source of polyphenol antioxidants

Biochemical regulationThe regulation chemistry consists of a polyphenol antioxidant’s ability to scavenge free radicals and up-regulate certain metal chelation reactions. That is to say various reactive oxygen species must be continually removed from cells to maintain healthy metabolic function. Some specific free radicals affected are the reactive oxygen species singlet oxygen, peroxynitrite and hydrogen peroxide. Diminishing the concentrations of reactive oxygen species can have several benefits. Since reactive oxygen species are linked to mobilization of ion transport systems, they are known to have roles in redox signaling. In particular, platelets involved in wound repair and blood homeostasis can release reactive oxygen species to recruit platelets to sites of injury. These also provide a link to the adaptive immune system via the recruitment of leukocytes. When polyphenols down-regulate reactive oxygen species formation, they also contribute to improved endothelial health through anti-inflammatory action.

Biological consequences

A macrophage stretching its arms to engulf two particles. Reactive oxygen species promote oxidized LDL and polyphenol antioxidants combat this inflammatory response.

Occurrence of an abundance of polyphenol antioxidants is associated with several salutary effects in higher animal species

Reduction in inflammatory effects such as coronary artery disease including specific medical research into the pathways of improved endothelial health via downregulation of oxidative LDL.

More generally the tea polyphenol (medically known as TP) antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), has been shown to reduce reactive oxygen species levels in vivo. Reactive oxygen species are important markers for inflammatory diseases.

Some polyphenol antioxidants, such as resveratrol, inhibit occurrence and/or growth of mammalian tumors.

A variety of other beneficial health effects have been attributed to consumption of foods rich in polyphenolic antioxidants. Among these salutary effects discussed are anti-aging consequences such as slowing the process of skin wrinkling.For some of the side-benefits (such as prevention of peripheral artery disease), further research is continuing to clarify the role polyphenol antioxidants may have.

Difficulty in analyzing effects of specific chemicals

Grapes contain certain polyphenol antioxidant compounds.

It is difficult to evaluate the medical effects of specific polyphenolic antioxidants, since such a large number of individual compounds may occur even in a single food. For example, over sixty different chemically distinct flavonoids are known to occur in a given red wine. Numerous scientific studies have been conducted to attempt to arrive at one consistent index for food antioxidant power. Since it has been proved that the dietary intake of compounds having antioxidant activity is medically important, various chemical, biological, and electrochemical methods have been proposed to evaluate the antioxidant power of compounds such as polyphenols. Wine, although nonessential, has a high polyphenol content up to two to three grams per liter in red wines obtained by traditional maceration. The polyphenol content of wines is usually evaluated by the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, which provides an appropriate response to the requirements of wine manufacturers. Statistical least squares analysis has been conducted to demonstrate the Folin method correlates well with alternative chemical and biological procedures for determining antioxidant potential.Therefore, there is some reason to believe more universally accepted protocols may be forthcoming to permit quantitative evaluation of antioxidant strength of polyphenol antioxidant compounds.

Other more detailed chemical research has been conducted elucidating the difficulty of isolating individual polyphenolic antioxidants. Fajardo-Lirai et al. have demonstrated that significant variation in polyphenol content among various brands of tea can explain the inconsistency in previous epidemiological studies that have tried to correlate beneficial health effects of polyphenol antioxidants using specific green tea blends. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) test is a possible emerging standard by which science measures antioxidant power in foods and dietary supplements

Practical aspects of dietary polyphenol antioxidants

Cocoa is the prime ingredient of chocolate, a source of polyphenol antioxidants.

There is debate regarding the total body absorption of dietary intake of polyphenolic compounds. While individual studies seem to demonstrate the favourable health effects of certain specific polyphenols, more research is needed to understand the interactions between a variety of these chemicals acting in concert within the human body. In particular there is evidence that some combinations of foods may inhibit efficient intestinal transfer of certain polyphenol antioxidants; refined sugars, for example, have been shown to impede this uptake under certain circumstances. Furthermore caution should be exercised in attempting diets depending largely on dietary supplements as opposed to a broad array of food sources, since the quality and concentrations of beneficial chemicals in some commercial products is subject to question.

Topical application of polyphenol antioxidants

There is some data that reactive oxygen species play a role in the process of aging. The skin is exposed to various exogenous sources of oxidative stress, including ultraviolet radiation. These spectral components are generally viewed as responsible for the extrinsic type of skin aging, sometimes termed photo-aging. It has been shown not only that increased levels of protective low molecular weight antioxidants through a diet rich in phytochemicals, but also by direct topical dermal application have proved that a few low molecular weight antioxidants, notably vitamins C and E, as well as lipoic acid, exert protective effects against oxidative stress. However, controlled long-term studies on the efficacy of low molecular weight antioxidants in the prevention or treatment of skin aging in humans are lacking.

Definition of Polyphenol.

MedicineNet.com

Polyphenol: A kind of chemical that (at least in theory) may protect against some common health problems and possibly certain effects of aging.

Polyphenols act as antioxidants. They protect cells and body chemicals against damage caused by free radicals, reactive atoms that contribute to tissue damage in the body. For example, when low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is oxidized, it can become glued to arteries and cause coronary heart disease.

Polyphenols can also block the action of enzymes that cancers need for growth and they can deactivate substances that promote the growth of cancers. The polyphenol most strongly associated with cancer prevention is epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG.

All tea contains polyphenols. Teas and polyphenols isolated from tea have been shown in the laboratory to act as scavengers of oxygen and nitrogen-free radicals, protecting the fatty membranes of cells, proteins and DNA. However, the results of human studies of tea and polyphenols to date (2001) have been inconsistent and have yet to prove anything one way or the other as regards the value of polyphenols.